Our sports reporter adds attitude and brings a different flavor to his sports coverage.

Talent, personality make Rockton's Corey Anderson a rising star

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By Jay Taft

Jay Taft adds attitude and brings a different flavor to his sports coverage. In his 10-plus years at the Rockford Register Star, he has managed to sprinkle in his own style of reporting while dealing with a wide variety of sports. While breaking
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Jay Taft adds attitude and brings a different flavor to his sports coverage. In his 10-plus years at the Rockford Register Star, he has managed to sprinkle in his own style of reporting while dealing with a wide variety of sports. While breaking down youth and high school athletics (from pint-sized football to prep girls swimming), all manners of college sports, extreme and action sports and now the Chicago Bears, Taft likes to tell the entire story, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Rockton’s Corey Anderson has shown the MMA world that he has what it takes inside the octagon to be a champion fighter. He also showed all who watched The Ultimate Fighter that he has the personality that it takes to be a star.

Anderson, the outgoing 24-year-old who won a TUF championship and a six-figure UFC contract with a first-round TKO on Sunday night, is back home this week, resting and celebrating with his friends and family. Soon he’ll get back to work, but the next time he steps into the cage it will be a UFC sanctioned bout for big bucks.

I’ll let you know when and where that is as soon as they dot all the “i’s” and stuff.

He’s in this position for two reasons: He’s become a powerful, all-around fighter; and he has the personality to be a star.

I got to know Corey a little bit eight or nine years ago when he wrestled at Hononegah. I’ve gotten to know him again from countless phone conversations over the past couple months as we watched his career skyrocket from the reality show.

We all change a lot during our early-20s, obviously, but in this case, the Corey of today is a completely different man. He’s confident but not cocky; he’s smooth but not arrogant; and he has a killer instinct in the training room, and on fight night.

“I agree, I’m a whole different person now,” Anderson admitted during two of our talks over the past month. During our last chat, as he was driving from O’hare Airport to Rockton the day after the TUF finale, he added: “I’ve learned so much, from the show, from the pros who I have been around, and just from the experience, that it’s hard not to change.”

If you know MMA, then you can already tell that Anderson appears to have what it takes. If you know Corey, then you know he has what it takes to soak up the spotlight, and entertain the fans, too.